The Hunter and the Hunted

Chapter Four:

Chapter Four:

I have been here in West Virginia for abour three months now. I still havent talked to anyone, people at school think i'm a stuck up mute. I'm not either of those things. I'm just a girl who is mad at the world. I secretly joined the Photography Club at school. Bummer about that is Max, Chloe's ex, is also in it. He tries to talk to me but like always I ignore him. He doesn't stop though. He just tells me stories about his best friends Aiden and Derrik. I respectfuly nod and smile when needed. Sometimes the occasinoal laugh. "Hey Abbey" Max said as he sat by me in Photography later that day. I just smiled at him and handed him a paper with the assinment on it. He was five minutes late as always. Max plays football for our school, but his coach knows that Photography is his actual passion and lets him leave practice five minutes early. 

"Alright, for this assinment you will be working with the person at your table. It is an in class project, meaning you wont need to worry about going to someones house, or meating somewhere after school. Okay?" Mrs. Faith our club leader said with a smile. Acording to Max her name is Faith Hudson and she is his sister-in-law. Currently very much pregnant with twin boys. Her husband, Michael, Comes to club meetings with her every Wednesday and Friday. Sometimes he helps us while she sits and rests. Honestley they are too cute for words. Always smiling and joking with eachother. Makes me wish I had something like that. 

"In other news, My lovlely best friend Carry will be taking over for at least two months staring next week, these guys are due sometime this month." She said proudly as she rubbed her swollen stomach. Everyone cheered and congradulated her as she smiled with pride. "I also wont be here, you know, family and all" Max said with a shrug. I smiled and nodded at him. "Alright get started!" Mrs. Faith said sitting next to her husband at her desk. "Alright so we need to take emotinal pictures. Saddnes, Anger, and Happiness" Max mumbled while reading the paper. "Shall we get started?" He asked while getting out his camera. I nodded and got mine out as well. 'Okay, so we should do happy first because I can see it already" He said nodding tourdes his brother and sister-in-law. I smiled and walked to them slowly.

I slowly brought my camera to my face closing one eye and breathing slowly. I wanted this picture to be perfect. Slowly I brought my index fingure down onto the button and captured the most amazing display of happiness I have ever seen. "May I see?" Mrs. Faith asked after a few seconds of me staring at the picture. I smiled and handed her the camera. 'Oh wow" She gasped tears forming in her eyes. I shrunk back afraid I did somehting wrong. "That's perfect" Her husband said smiling down at the picture. I smiled proudly at myself and stood back up. "Can I have this please?" She asked me. Instently I nodded and took the camera to the printer we had in the room. After printing a few diffrent sizes I handed them the pictures and walked back to Max. "So they liked it?" He asked as I packed up my things. Nodding i smiled at the one picture I could keep. "Good, you're amazing" He said looking at the picture. 

I smiled and waved bye to Max as I entered my little blue beat up bug. It was so cute and old, I loved it. Smiling and humming along to the somg on the radio I drove my way to the little craft store intown smiling I browsed around for a few. Buying little things here and there. After about ten minutes I got a text from my dad, Where are you? Going on a hunting trip tonight. Wanna have dinner somewhere?, I smiled at the text. He always takes me out to eat before he leaves for a huntimg trip. It's our way of bonding. He also tought me how to use a bow and gun when needed. Right now Cole was teaching me hand to hand combat. 

Texting my dad back I said, At the craft store, again, and yes I would love that...Mexican?, I smiled at the thought of Taco's. They where my weakness, always will be too. I put my phone in my pocket as a group of teenagers from my school showed up. Ignoring the stairs I continued my browsing. "Hey" I looked up and saw Max standing there with a blonde boy behind him. Smiling I waved at him. "Why are you talking to the mute?" A brunet girl asked. She had short athletic shorts on and a West HIgh Wolves Cheer Team T-Shirt on. "Because she's my friend Candise. Now please leave her alone." He said rolling her eyes. Letting out a huff the girl walked away and left the store. 

"Sorry about her" Max said as he walked me to my car. The blonde boy, Derrik, followed closly to his side. Shrugging I smiled at him and waved bye. Max pulled me into a hug and said bye before leaving with Derrik. Getting in my car I drove home. Once home I put all my stuff in the Craft Room as dad calls it. It's just a little room beside mine where I keep all my photoraphy things and craft things. Smiling I framed the picture I took today and placed it on the wall with the others I have. There are some of my dad, Chloe, Cole, and the others scattered around. All random and un-staged. The way it should be, you shouldn't have to fake an emotion. I smiled as my dad entered the room. "Ready?" He asked. Nodding I turned the light out as we exited the room.

 After dinner dad took me to see a movie, Divergent, it was okay I guess. The book was way better to be honest. "Do you like it here? I mean I know you don't talk and I wish you woukd, but I kinda understand that you're just upset and angry." Dad said as we drove home. Shrugging i smiled at him. I couldn't text him like I usually would so I just nodded. "Good, I was a bit worried." He said smiling at me. The rest of the ride was silent with music playing silently in the background. 

"Abbey, we're home" A voice said as I was shaken awake. Sighing I opened my eyes and looked around. I must have fallen asleep on the way home. Dad smiled at me as I exited the car "It's about 9:30 so you might wanna just shower and go to bed" Dad said as we entered the house. Nodding I hugged him and headed to my bathroom to shower and get ready for bed. Once in my bed I closed my eyes and sighed. A knock on the door startled me as I was half asleep. Sighing I coughed so they knew I was awake. 

Dad walked in and smiled "We're leaving, and I wanted to say goodbye before I left." He said sitting on my bed. I sat up and smiled at him. "This trip will be a little longer, my friend Kurt is having some wolf trubble in North Dakota and he needs our help. They are attaking people and hurting them." Dad said with anger in his voice. I gasped at the thought of people being hurt by animals. I loved wolves, they have always been my favorite animal. Mom took me to the zoo at least once a month to see them. 

"It should be about a month, but i'm not promising anything." He said rapping an arm around me and kissing my head. Nodding I smiled at him and hugged him back. "I love you Abbey, I know it's under bad reasons, but i'm glad you're here." He said hugging me tighter. I hugged him for what felt like an hour before he got up to leave. As my dad opened the door I did something so weird it even shocked me. "I love you to dad" I said loud enough to where he could here but not to loud. Dad looked at me with teary eyes and smiled brightly before leaving my room. 

sighing I laid back down and looked out the window. The window was open so the curtains where blowing slightly in the wind. I smiled as I thought of today. I kind of like Max, and not in a boy friend way, in a best guy friend way. He was nice to me when others weren't, he stuck up for me today, and called me his friend. His friend Derrik also said we could be friends and gave me his number. Since tomorrow was Saturday I could text them and see if they wanna see a movie or something? I'll just do that tomorrow. Closing my eyes I slowly driffted to sleep with a small smile on my face. 

[ eDiTeD ]

[ video of Max to the side!